Edo Senators Raise Alarm Over Activities of Herdsmen

The Senators representing Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial Districts, Clifford Ordia and Francis Alimikhena, Wednesday, have raised the alarm over the rampaging activities of herdsmen in Edo State.
While Ordia told the Senate that suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked two villages in Edo Central where they raped and strangulated two women to death, Alimikhena informed his colleagues that the ravaging herdsmen raped four women in his constituency.
Ordia said that the women were killed in community called Ewu, Edo Central on May 22, 2017.
The lawmaker in a motion entitled: “Need to curtail the activities of Fulani Herdsmen in Edo State,” lamented that the Federal Government appeared to have left the people to their fate.
Senator Ordia said: “These ravaging herdsmen entered into a farmland located in Ewu Community, Esan Central Local Government of Edo State raping two women, Mrs. Martina Emoyon and Mrs. Ariu and strangled them to death, destroyed crops and sacked a lot of persons from their various farmlands.
“Consequent upon these criminal activities of the Fulani herdsmen, the youths of Ewu engaged in a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the problem.
“Sadly one Ehimen Donald Abuya was shot and the victim is presently lying critically ill at Irrua Specialist Hospital.
“Since this destructive attack, it has been observed that no farmer in the communities have engaged in farming activities for fear of being killed.
“I am concerned about the heinous and criminal activities being perpetrated by Fulani Herdsmen who in the violent act of ravaging communities, depriving persons of right to life and prosperity, raping, defiling women and destroying farms crops amongst other criminal activities across the country.“Despite the public outcry and previous resolutions of the National Assembly as regards the criminal activities of herdsmen, there seems to be no visible action on the part of government to curtail, abate or totally stop the criminal activities of these criminal elements among Fulani Herdsmen.”
The lawmaker who quoted section 33(1) of chapter (iv) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Senator Ordia said “every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in the execution of a court sentence in respect of criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.
“The Africa Chapter on Human and Peoples Right of which Nigeria is a signatory also provides for Right to Life and Respect for Integrity of Persons, Freedom from Slavery, Torture, Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading treatment
“Section 43 of the constitution provides that every citizen shall have a right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria.
“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) in section 14(b) clearly provides that the Security and Welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
He warned that the situation might get worse if drastic action was not taken to curtail the activities of Fulani herdsmen.
He said, “We cannot continue to live like this in the country. The herdsmen did not only rape the women but went ahead to strangulate them. The Federal Government, should as a matter of urgency, step in and curb the criminal activities of these herdsmen.
Senator Alimikhena on his own said that the four women were raped in a community in his Senatorial District.
The Edo North lawmaker lamented that the herdsmen have taken over highways and farmlands in the area making vehicular movement difficult.
He appealed to the Senate to intervene and stop the carnage in his area.
The Senate asked security agencies “to halt, apprehend and bring to justice the criminal elements posing as herdsmen who derive pleasure in destroying lives and properties across Nigeria.”
An ad-hoc committee already set up by the Senate and chaired by Senator Kabiru Gaya, to investigate activities of Fulani herdsmen in the country was mandated to include recent attacks in Edo State.